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Houston Dynamo

What a bittersweet week for Dynamo Charities. Sweet in the sense we had a great board meeting finishing up the plans for our wonderful events and programs for 2013. Bitter in that this week includes the last day for our executive director, Lori Ginsburg. Lori has been with us since day one, and has been the energy, commitment and drive behind Dynamo Charities growth since 2008. While we understand her decision, we will miss her spirit and can do attitude. Best wishes to you Lori!

On to our 2013 events. We are about a week away from the annual Fire Sale, part of the Meet the Team day at BBVA Compass Stadium on March 9. We will have lots of reasonably priced Dynamo and adidas merchandise available. This is a private season ticket holder event only, another great reason to join me as a Dynamo Season Ticket Holder. (With Opening Day this Saturday, get your tickets now.) For those veterans of the Fire Sale, note that we will have bags this year generously donated by Kroger’s.

At the Fire Sale we will be providing information on our upcoming event with Dynamo Sidekicks – a picnic style Dine with the Dynamo set for April 16. More information will also be on the website soon, but mark your calendars now.

The annual American Diabetes Association Houston Tour de Cure bike ride will be held Saturday, September 21. Dynamo Charities and Houston Dynamo are again sponsoring a ride team. You can bike as little as 10 miles or an amazing 100 miles, or somewhere in between – and if you join our team and raise at least $150, you get, by far, the coolest bike jersey in town. Our goal is 200 riders and $75,000 raised. You can sign up today and start raising money at: www.diabetes.org/houstontourdecure. From the site you can register to ride with us, or I would appreciate your support if you would consider a donation. Dynamo senior director of corporate development Bryan Kraham is the lead for the Dynamo bike team. Please contact him if you would like to sponsor us and be part of the coolest bike jersey around.

If you have questions on Dynamo Charities, all board members wear the Space City blue polos to games (as I am modelling above), so find us and ask. A list of current board members can be found at http://www.houstondynamo.com/charities/board. Look forward to seeing you on Opening Day.

As the year goes on, I will use this blog to give you a heads up for our events. Please check back on a regular basis and follow me on Twitter @DynamoChrtyTony.

With only four days to go before the first game of the 2013 season, the editors at MLSsoccer.com are busy with their season opening predictions. Yesterday, they looked at which players have a chance to win the Budweiser Golden Boot award. Today, they looked at which goalkeepers have a chance to take home this year's Goalkeeper of the Year award.

It's no surprise that there was Dynamo representation in each category.

First up is the Golden Boot, awarded to the player who scores the most goals in the regular season. Included on the list are some big names including Robbie Keane, Thierry Henry and Eddie Johnson. MLSsoccer.com editor-in-chief Greg Lalas, however, went outside the box with his selection and chose Dynamo forward Will Bruin.

The former Generation adidas striker is entering his third year in the league. He scored 12 goals during the regular season last year and added another four in the playoffs to help the team advance to the MLS Cup final. After an off-season training with the U.S. men's national team and his first cap for the USMNT at BBVA Compass Stadium, some pundits believe Bruin could break the 20-goal mark in 2013. Here is what Lalas had to say about Bruin:

He quietly hit 12 goals last year, good for ninth-most in the league. With the creative Boniek García alongside for a full season and the newly arrived Omar Cummings running defenders in circles, he has a shot at 20 this year.

Today, the MLSsoccer.com editors offered their choice for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. Care to guess who Director of Video Jason Saghini chose? None other than Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall. Here is what Saghini had to say about the Dynamo goalkeeper:

This is a long time coming, but Hall has gotten better and better each year.

Hall was named to the MLS All-Star team in 2011 and has backstopped the Dynamo to the last two MLS Cup finals.

Creditor: The Dynamo made the MLS Cup final each of the last two seasons. They had no major defections. They added a potential impact (and MLS Cup-winning) forward in Omar Cummings and filled out other depth needs. Bruin is coming off a 12-goal campaign as he enters his third MLS season. Boniek Garcia gets an entire season in MLS instead of joining midway through the campaign. They don't have to start the season on a lengthy road trip while the construction of their home stadium is concluded. This is a battle-tested, playoff-experienced team that knows how to win when it matters.

Wahl: Lost in the focus on whether Los Angeles can become the first MLS team to three-peat is the possibility that Houston could also make its third straight MLS Cup final. Dominic Kinnear has given a postseason coaching masterclass the last two years, and Houston should be even better this season with a full year of MVP candidate Boniek García and Ricardo Clark, to say nothing of Brad Davis, rising target man Will Bruin and the addition of Omar Cummings. My sense is we'll see a third straight Houston-L.A. final, but this time it'll take place in Texas.

So what do you think Dynamo fans? Is this Will Bruin's year to take home the MLS Golden Boot award? Is it Tally Hall's time to break through the clutter of top MLS goalkeepers and claim his position's top prize? Let us know below!

With the Dynamo set to begin the 2013 season in just 3 days – against D.C. United at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, March 2 – we are counting down to kickoff with a Dynamo-centric countdown to Opening Day. See the bottom of this post for the complete countdown list.

Each day, we’ll post a description of what makes the number significant. If you have any thoughts on the subjects, post them in the comment section below.

Today, we continue with #3:

The Dynamo orchestrated a historic run to the MLS Cup final a year ago, becoming the first team in league history to advance to the Cup final with the last game of three consecutive preliminary playoff rounds on the road. While they didn't win all three road playoff games on their way to L.A., they did enough in each of the three road games to win each series. Now, the MLS Cup playoffs have only featured three rounds of playoffs in advance of the Cup final since 2011, so the history with three preliminary rounds is very brief. Still, the list of teams to advance to the Cup final with the deciding game of each round coming on the road is brief.

In 2009, Real Salt Lake reached the MLS Cup final (and won it) with road victories at Columbus and at Chicago. The 2008 New York Red Bulls reached the final with road wins at Houston and Real Salt Lake, before falling to Columbus. In 2005, the LA Galaxy reached the final (and won) with road victories at San Jose and Colorado.

The Dynamo followed those three clubs and added a third road celebration for good measure. Here is a brief look at the three road triumphs:

Houston began its run in Chicago on Halloween Night and earned a 2-1 road win, its first road victory since July 28 at Toronto. Will Bruin scored two goals in his first career playoff start and Houston's win was reminiscent of a 2-1 win at Philadelphia in the 2011 Eastern Conference semifinals that also began a journey to the Cup final.

In the first leg 2012 Eastern Conference semifinals, the Dynamo secured a vital 2-0 home victory over No. 1 seed Sporting Kansas City on beautiful goals from Adam Moffat and Bruin. The second goal from Bruin was the difference when Houston travelled to Kansas three days later. Under attack from Sporting KC for 90 minutes, the Dynamo conceded a late goal, but turned away Sporting's late charges for a memorable series win. For the second time in eight days, the Dynamo were celebrating a victory on their opponent's field.

The 2012 Eastern Conference Championship against D.C. United followed a similar script. The Dynamo rallied in the second half of the home leg for a 3-1 win on goals from Andre Hainault, Bruin and Kofi Sarkodie. In the second leg a week later at RFK Stadium, a goal from Boniek Garcia just before halftime widened the series lead to 4-1. A late goal from United made the final minutes interesting, but the Dynamo reached full time with a 4-2 series win, and for the third time in as many weeks, staged a celebration inside the enemy's stadium.

The 2012 Eastern Conference Championship rivals will reunite on Saturday in the opener of the 2013 season. The schedule makers further stoked the budding rivalry by pairing the Dynamo and D.C. United in the season finale on Oct. 27 at RFK Stadium. After a memorable playoff series a year ago, the regular season for both clubs will start and end against a familiar foe.

As part of his preview for the 18th season of Major League Soccer, SI.com's Grant Wahl surveyed 19 players from around the league about various topics both on and off the field. Players were promised anonymity in response for their honest answers.

We cannot confirm if any Dynamo players were questioned for the survey, but it was nice to see some Dynamo representation in one of the answers.

When asked who is the one coach you would like to play for that is not currently your coach, Dominic Kinnear finished tied for second in the polling behind LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. It's no surprise that those two coaches finished 1-2 as they are arguably two of the most successful coaches in MLS history.

With the Dynamo set to begin the 2013 season in just 4 days – against D.C. United at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, March 2 – we are counting down to kickoff with a Dynamo-centric countdown to Opening Day. See the bottom of this post for the complete countdown list.

Each day, we’ll post a description of what makes the number significant. If you have any thoughts on the subjects, post them in the comment section below.

Today, we continue with #4:

Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear is not only one of the longest-tenured head coaches in American pro sports, he is also among the most successful in Major League Soccer history. Kinnear is tied for fourth on the MLS all-time wins chart with 114 regular season wins as a head coach. With a 2-0 win over New England on Sept. 29, 2012, Kinnear passed longtime New England head coach Steve Nicol on the list. Kinnear is tied for fourth on the wins list with old friend and coaching mentor Frank Yallop, who made Kinnear his assistant coach in San Jose in 2001. It is ironic that two coaches with such a connected history - Kinnear and Yallop - have the exact number of wins. If Kinnear wins 11 games or more in 2013, he will pass former U.S. men's national team head coach Bob Bradley on the list. Below is a list of the most wins by MLS coaches in league history.

With the official unveiling of the 2013-14 Houston Dynamo jerseys, we take a walk down memory lane and look at Dynamo jerseys through the years. Do you have a favorite design? Let us know in the comments section below!

With only five days before the start of the 2013 season, the Dynamo have formally unveiled the jerseys the team will wear for their upcoming campaign. Starting Tuesday, the jerseys will be available for purchase at the adidas Dynamo Team Store at BBVA Compass Stadium.

“Introducing a new uniform is always exciting for a team and its fans,” said Dynamo president Chris Canetti. “We are proud of the new look and how it represents the club. The base concept remains the same, but the new version provides a fresh, new look for the club.”

Although the jerseys were designed to highlight features that represent the club, it was also designed with competition advantages in mind. With no collar and lighter material, the 2013 and 2014 kits will provide an advantage for Dynamo players as they play games during the summer months in Houston.

Along with the Dynamo’s goal to be the most environmentally friendly club in Major League Soccer, the new kits are made from 100% recyclable materials. Other features that will hit home to Dynamo fans are:

The Texas flag patch sewn on to the front of the jersey

The Dynamo’s signature Forever Orange slogan on the upper-left hand side of the kit

The back-neck tape design is inspired by the design of the Dynamo’s stadium, BBVA Compass Stadium

“We wanted to maintain a traditional looking uniform that met the standards of top clubs from around the world,” Canetti added. “We also wanted it to be a stark contrast to our previous uniform. It was important for us to incorporate elements that represent our club and fan base, such as the Forever Orange tag and the Texas flag. Overall, I think we have met our objectives and have a quality new uniform that players and fans will enjoy.”

With the Dynamo set to begin the 2013 season in just 5 days – against D.C. United at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, March 2 – we are counting down to kickoff with a Dynamo-centric countdown to Opening Day. See the bottom of this post for the complete countdown list.

Each day, we’ll post a description of what makes the number significant. If you have any thoughts on the subjects, post them in the comment section below.

Today, we continue with #5:

The Dynamo have reached five conference finals in seven seasons. They have won four, and lost the fifth to the LA Galaxy in a game remembered by Dynamo fans by a pair of power outages at The Home Depot Center.

With the Dynamo set to begin the 2013 season in just 6 days – against D.C. United at BBVA Compass Stadium on March 2 – we are counting down to kickoff with a Dynamo-centric countdown to Opening Day. See the bottom of this post for the complete countdown list.

Each day, we’ll post a description of what makes the number significant. If you have any thoughts on the subjects, post them in the comment section below.

Today, we continue with #6:

Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear is the longest-tenured head coach in Major League Soccer after completing his ninth consecutive season with the Earthquakes/Dynamo in 2012. He was promoted from assistant coach to head coach of the San Jose Earthquakes after the 2003 season and managed the Quakes in their final two seasons in San Jose before the franchise moved to Houston. He's remained in charge of the Dynamo since their inception, guiding the club to two MLS Cup titles and four MLS Cup final appearances in seven seasons.

Only six head coaches/managers in American professional sports have been with their current club longer than Kinnear. The list below details the longest-tenured head coaches in American professional sports.

FIRST SEASON

NAME

CLUB (LEAGUE)

NOTE

1996

Greg Popovich

San Antonio Spurs (NBA)

1998

Barry Trotz

Nashville Predators (NHL)

2000

Bill Belicheck

New England Patriots (NFL)

2000

Mike Scioscia

LA Angels of Anaheim (MLB)

2002

Ron Gardenhire

Minnesota Twins (MLB)

2003

Marvin Lewis

Cincinnati Bengals (NFL)

2004

Dominic Kinnear

San Jose Earthquakes/Houston Dynamo (MLS)

Named head coach December 2003

2004

Tom Coughlin

New York Giants (NFL)

Named head coach January 2004

2004

Doc Rivers

Boston Celtics (NBA)

Named head coach April 2004

2005

Charlie Manuel

Philadelphia Phillies (MLB)

Named head coach November 2004

Kinnear has guided two of the four clubs in the history of MLS that completed an unbeaten home season (2012 Dynamo and 2005 Earthquakes). He leads the Dynamo into the 2013 season with a 25-game regular season home unbeaten streak that can be extended on Saturday as the Dynamo open the season against D.C. United in a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference Championship.